How to Create Materials with MERLOT's Content Builder

Updated

MERLOT's Content Builder is a free tool for creating accessible, scalable, multi-page websites, and it's the path to take if you want to build original online learning materials rather than just submit something you already made elsewhere. You need a MERLOT account to use it, and the site provides a video tutorial to walk you through the process. Once your material is built, you can add it to the MERLOT collection.

What Content Builder Is For

Content Builder sits alongside MERLOT's other creation and sharing functions, but it serves a distinct purpose:

  • Content Builder — build accessible, scalable, multi-page websites from scratch.
  • Add a Material — submit an online learning material you've found or created to the MERLOT Collection.
  • Course ePortfolio — assemble a course-level portfolio.

If your goal is to author a new multi-page resource, Content Builder is the relevant tool. If you already have a finished resource and just want it listed, use Add a Material instead.

Prerequisites

Before you start, confirm the following:

  1. A MERLOT account. Creating materials, adding materials to the collection, and joining the community all require signing up. MERLOT states these actions are free, but you still need to register and log in.
  2. A clear sense of your material's structure. Because Content Builder produces multi-page sites, it helps to sketch your pages and their order before you begin.
  3. Accessibility in mind from the start. MERLOT describes Content Builder as producing accessible sites, so plan headings, alt text, and readable structure as you build rather than retrofitting later.

Step-by-Step

  1. Sign up or log in. Use the Sign Up / Log In links on merlot.org. You'll need an account before any creation or submission action.
  2. Go to the Create section. MERLOT's navigation includes a Create area, which is where Content Builder lives. The site notes you can "Build accessible, scaleable, multi-page websites with Content Builder entirely for free."
  3. Watch the video tutorial. MERLOT explicitly offers a video tutorial for Content Builder. Watching it first is the fastest way to understand the interface before you commit to building.
  4. Build your pages. Create your multi-page site within Content Builder. Structure your content into pages and keep accessibility practices in mind as you go.
  5. Add the finished material to the MERLOT Collection. Once built, you can submit it so it becomes part of the collection and is discoverable by the community.

Expected result: a published, multi-page learning website that lives in the MERLOT Collection and can be found by other educators, learners, and researchers.

Common Sticking Points

  • Trying to submit before you build. Add a Material and Content Builder are different actions. If you want to author something new, start in Create, not in the submission form.
  • Skipping the tutorial. The video tutorial exists precisely because the tool has its own workflow. Going in blind tends to cost more time than watching it.
  • Forgetting the account step. Every creation and submission path routes through Sign Up / Log In. Do this first so you aren't interrupted mid-build.
  • Treating it as a one-off page. Content Builder is designed for multi-page sites, so plan a page structure rather than cramming everything onto one screen.

Where It Fits in MERLOT Overall

MERLOT is an international community of educators, learners, and researchers, and its collection is large — the site reports 111,556 learning resources, 226,437 registered members, and 4,446 member institutions. Content Builder is one of the ways you move from consuming that collection to contributing to it. If you'd rather contribute an existing resource, use Add a Material; if you want to build something new and accessible from the ground up, Content Builder is the tool to start with.